The Beginning
by Leia 96
Summary: "'Where do you wanna go? Anything you wanna do, we'll go do it.' Dean wasn't sure what Sam would say, what he'd want to do, but whatever it was would be worth it just for that look on his face right now. Pure happiness, that's what that was." The first time Dean and Sam ride in the Impala all by themselves. It feels important. Very short oneshot. *Minor language*


_**Would you look at that! My first Supernatural fic! Yay! **__**I just want to say that this was inspired by a book that I read - and I hate to say this but I don't actually remember what it's called - about a teenager whose older brother is a soldier and comes back from Afghanistan really messed up. Anyway, there's a flashback to the scene where the older brother got his driver's license, and the first thing he did was come home and tell the younger brother he'd take him anywhere he wanted to go, and it felt like such a Dean thing to do. Yeah, I just wanted to make sure everyone knew the idea wasn't entirely mine - and I really do feel terrible that I can't remember what that book is called.**_

"You did good, kid," John said, rubbing Dean's head affectionately as Dean leaped out of the car, waving the piece of plastic around.

"Hell yeah I did!" he agreed enthusiastically. He examined the plastic card. "Not even a terrible picture," he said. John took it from him and laughed.

"You look like a goofy teenager," he said, shoving it back. "But I'll tell you what, now you've got a real ID we can start working on some fakes. I can start introducing you as my intern or something. What do you say?" Dean grinned. Moments of such levity with his father were rare, but when they came around Dean was just about the happiest son on the planet. He could tell his dad was proud - and with good reason. Dean hadn't been sure he'd be able to pass the test after the disaster that was his father trying to teach him parallel parking (it had ended in both of them cursing like sailors and not saying much else), but he'd been determined to take the test the day he turned sixteen. And somehow, miraculously, he'd managed to pass.

John glanced at his watch and sighed. "Gotta go pick up Sam," he said, sliding back into the Impala.

"Can I?" Dean asked suddenly. John eyed him for a moment and slowly got up out the car. He tossed Dean the keys.

"If you wreck my fucking car…" John didn't finish. He didn't need to. Dean grinned and nodded his head.

"Yes, sir."

"I'll be at the scene of the Carrow murder, then," he said, shrugging. He gave Dean a look as he, very nervously, sat down in the driver's seat of his father's baby and pulled out of the parking lot to go pick Sammy up from school.

Dean pulled into the bus circle, glancing around for his kid brother. He saw Sammy before Sammy saw him. He was sitting on a bench by himself, his nose in some book, his giant backpack on the ground at his feet. It was only his third day at this school and Dean hated how much harder it was for Sammy than for him to fit in and make friends at new schools.

Sammy wasn't looking up from that book anytime soon, so Dean leaned over and rolled down the passenger window.

"Hey! Sammy!" Sam looked up, startled. His eyes found Dean and he crinkled his eyebrows in confusion for a moment before his face cracked into a grin Dean couldn't help but return. Sam leaped up from the bench, swung his giant backpack onto his back, and ran over to the car, his book tucked under his arm.

"You got it!" Sam said excitedly as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"Yup. I am officially a licensed driver in the great state of Texas," Dean said, smiling.

"And Dad let you drive the Impala by yourself?"

"What, you think I stole it?" Sam shook his head, but Dean didn't miss the "wouldn't put it past you" he muttered under his breath.

Dean let out a long laugh, then turned up the volume on the radio as he pulled into the street.

Sam sighed, barely audible over the too loud music. "Really, Dean?" He had to shout to be heard.

"It's good!" Dean shouted back. Sam rolled his eyes but smiled a little, amused. Looking at that smile, Dean was suddenly struck with inspiration.

"Hey," he said. "Sammy." Sam glanced at him and raised his eyebrows. "Dad's checking out the crime scene again, probably won't be back until late."

"And?"

"Where do you wanna go? Anything you wanna do, we'll go do it. Long as we can be back by, oh say ten."

Dean wasn't sure what Sam would say, what he'd want to do, but whatever it was would be worth it just for that look on his face right now. Pure happiness, that's what that was.

"Well," Sam said cautiously. "We're just a couple of hours away from Austin, right?" Dean nodded. "Well my English teacher was telling us about this bridge in Austin, and there are about a million bats that live under it around this time of year and they all fly out at once and it's supposed to be really spectacular."

"Bats, Sammy? Anything at all you wanna do and you wanna go look at some bats?" But Dean's already mentally figuring out how to get to Austin from here.

Sam nods excitedly. "It's the biggest colony of bats in North America! And every evening like clockwork they fly out from under the bridge at sunset. Think about it, Dean, a _million _bats flying around in the same place, all at the same time…"

And Dean does have to admit that he's having a hard time imagining that. And so he gets them onto the highway, more cautious than he ever has been before, fully aware of his sweet, very vulnerable little brother in the seat next to him as he zips along at seventy miles an hour. Kansas blasting from the stereo, the smooth leather of his father's baby underneath him, Sammy at his side as he drives them to Austin - three hours away - to go watch some goddamn bats fly out from under a goddamn bridge.

This moment - it feels important. It feels like a beginning.

_**I live in Austin and have all my life, and the thing about the bats is true. There's about 1.5 million of them that live under the Congress Avenue bridge during the summer and one of the big touristy things to do here is go watch the bats fly out at sunset. It's truly one of the weirdest and coolest things to watch. Though that's something I wanted to address - the bats live there in the summer, Dean's birthday is in January. I know that. I stretched the truth a little. You should still go see the bats if you're ever in Austin.**_


End file.
